Britt just shrugs, seeming fine with that.
"I'm out, obviously," Wren says, clapping Rye Clanton on the back as he stands.
Rye tilts his head, appraising Tria as though he's interested. "I'm in," he says, making it a little obvious.
Tria shrugs, trying not to smile. "I'm in, too."
"We'll draw names. Couples are exempt from the drawing."
Dale grumbles as a few girls giggle, looking him over like a slab of meat. Oh damn. What if one of them gets Dane's name? Rye takes off his hat and tosses it toward Tria. Another guy does the same, offering his hat as a bucket for the names.
"Rain, you playing?" Kode asks, his interest clearly piqued.
Ah, hell. How'd I end up in such a mess?
There's no way I'm playing this game with Kode, and I'll be damned if some girl other than me touches Dane Sterling.
"I'm playing. I'll draw the names," I say casually, walking over to take a pen from Tria who looks very nervous.
I suppose it would suck if she ended up with one of the Sterlings. I'll put her with Rye. She seems interested in him. I just have to keep up with all my lies, since I'
m supposed to be drawing names from hats.
"Girl names in this one. Guy names in this one," I announce, passing small strips of paper for everyone playing to write their names on.
As the hats make it back to me, I mentally make a checklist of the names that have to go together, starting with Dane and me.
***
DANE
This is a bad idea. Very bad idea.
I'll beat the hell out of anyone who ends up being Rain's partner.
This is crazy. I'm crazy. It's all her fault. She fucks with my head, and she knows it. Since she rejected me, I've been trying to get some separation, but I can't stay the fuck away.
I hate my life.
I'm in physical pain; that's how badly I want to be with her. So, like a fool who is begging for punishment, I've stayed with her. I've even stooped so low as to stripping naked and putting myself in the shower with her. She still didn't cave.
You'd think I'd take a hint, but no. I keep fucking trying.
I spent six years distancing myself from her, reminding myself why on a daily basis. Now I can't seem to tear myself away even for a minute. Pathetic. I'm pathetic all over again, just like I was at eighteen.
Rain keeps drawing names, and I keep fisting my hands, dreading each new announcement. This is like a cruel game meant for stronger men than I. Kode looks just as tense as I am right now, and though neither of us will say it, this has become a competition.
"Tria," Rain says, putting down one of the strips of paper, and then she draws a guy's name.
Her lips tighten as though she doesn't like what she sees, but it's a subtle thing no one else would notice. Whose name is it?
"Rye," she says, blinking twice very rapidly, proving she just lied. Fuck. Whose name was it really?
"Dane," she says through a husky breath, and everything on me gets stiff.
Kode leans forward as she reaches into the other cap, and I chew on my knuckle like a nervous teenager playing spin the fucking bottle.
"Me," she lies, her rapid blinking happening again as she fights not to grin.